A case recently resolved at the Appellate Tax Board serves as a reminder that Massachusetts’ auditors continue to aggressively challenge the following intercompany transactions: Interest deductions for interest paid to foreign affiliates that are not members of the unitary combined group—even if the foreign affiliate is domiciled in a country with a comprehensive tax treaty … Continue Reading

With oral argument and briefing complete, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s authority to increase the net worth component of a taxpayer’s corporate excise using its “true debt” analysis is under review by the Appeals Court in National Grid Holdings, Inc. et. al. v. Commissioner. The appeal should be of particular interest to taxpayers because, in … Continue Reading

The Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board (“ATB”) has once again issued a Findings of Fact and Report upholding a Department assessment on the basis that a taxpayer’s intercompany obligations under a cash management system were not bona fide debt. The most recent decision, issued September 4, 2015, is Staples, Inc. and Staples Contract and Commercial, Inc. … Continue Reading